Skip to main content
West Virginia University Office of Human Research Protections
WVU Research Office

Variable Categories

The table below provides information on the risk category for identifiable data variables.

Research Data Categories/HIPAA Non Covered Entity (NCE) /Covered Entity (CE)


Variable
#1 WVU PHI Sensitive Requirement
#2 WVU Research PII
#3 WVU PII Sensitive
Data is from a Medical/Dental Record/Healthcare Event- Applies to CE and NCE


Data is NOT from a Medical/Dental Record/Healthcare Event - Applies to NCE Only

Data is collected by a CE = PHI
Data is collected by an NCE = RPII
 Applies to both CE and NCE
Name
X
X
  
City
X
X
  
County
X
X
  
Zip Code
X
X
  
Birthdate
X
X
  
Date of Death
X
X
Exact Age if Over 89
X
X
Admission Dates
X
X
  
Discharge Dates
X
X
  
Admission Dates
X
X
  
Surgery/Procedure Dates
X
X
  
Medical Test Dates
X
X
  
Email Addresses
X
X
  
Telephone Numbers
X
X
  
Medical Record Number/Patient ID
X
X
  
Other Medical Record
Info (Describe)
X
X
  
Social Security Number
X
X
IP/MAC Address consistently
linked to an individual
X
X
  
Medical Device Identifiers /Serial Numbers
X
    
Web URLs
X
X
  
Biometric Identifiers (finger, voice print, etc.)
X
  
X
Full face photographic images and other comparable images
X
X
  
Health Plan Beneficiary Numbers

X
X
Account Numbers (any type: insurance, bank, hospital bills, healthcare, etc.)
X
X
X
Professional Certificate/License Numbers
X
X
  
Vehicle Information (VIN/SN/License Plate/Title)
X
X
  
Other unique identifying code or characteristic to be collected (tattoo, scar, physical impairment, amputee, website name)
X
X
  
Student Data (Personal, health, academic)
 
X
  
Mothers Maiden Name
 
X
  
Maiden Name
 		 
X
  
Alias
 		 
X
  
Passport/Visa Numbers
 		   
X
Drivers License Number
 		   
X
Taxpayer ID
 		 
X
  
Credit Card Number
 		   
X
Financial PIN
   
X
WVU/HSC Employment Information
 		 
X
WVU/HSC/WVUM Authentication Credentials<
 		   
X
Confidential Business Information (WVU/HSC)
 		   
X
Covered Defense Information
 		   
X
Information Subject to DoD Distribution Stmt B-F
 		   
X
Source Code - Export
 		   
X
Technical Data – Export
 		   
X
Technical Control Plans – Export
 		   
X
Trade Secrets (Institutional)
 		   
X
Variables, if checked with RPII, become RPII
Place of Birth
 		 
X
  
Business Telephone Numbers
 		 
X
  
Business Mailing Address
 		 
X
  
Business Email Address
 		 
X
  
Race Religion
 		 
X
  



Download This Table as a PDF